Hour 1: Stafford for Giants?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – "Hour 1: Stafford for Giants?"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg
• Hosts: Don LaGreca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
• Episode: Hour 1: Stafford for Giants?
• Release Date: February 19, 2025
• Description: Featuring Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg, this podcast delves into New York sports, hip-hop, and more, offering a blend of insightful commentary and lively discussion.

---

1. Congestion Pricing Tolls Debate

Timestamp: 00:30 – 02:18

The episode kicks off with the hosts discussing the recent news about the U.S. Department of Transportation pulling its approval for the MTA's congestion pricing toll program in Manhattan.

• Don LaGreca expresses his disappointment:

  [02:17] "That's what they're saying."
  [02:58] "I have not had a bit of traffic going home or going to work once in the month that this has been instituted."

• Alan Hahn provides a broader perspective on the toll's effectiveness and its impact:

  [02:53] "What is your experience with it right now? And do you feel like, you know what, it actually wasn't so bad? Or are you like, no, this is ridiculous."

• Peter Rosenberg highlights the socio-economic aspects:

  [04:09] "Listen, is it privileged to say you liked it?"

Key Points:

• The hosts debate whether the congestion pricing was effective in reducing traffic.
• Don shares his personal experience of reduced traffic and willingness to pay the toll.
• Peter challenges the idea by pointing out the privilege involved in affording the toll.
• Alan questions the allocation of funds, noting that despite the toll, road conditions remain poor.

2. Matthew Stafford’s Potential Move to the Giants or Jets

Timestamp: 12:03 – 37:34

The primary focus of the episode revolves around the NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford and his potential transfer from the Los Angeles Rams to New York teams—the Giants or the Jets.

a. Current Situation and Speculations

• Alan Hahn introduces the topic by referencing Adam Schefter’s insights:

  [13:46] "Matthew Stafford and the Rams... if they can't figure it out and if they disagree on what that number is, then that's where the trade scenario comes into play."

• Don LaGreca discusses the Giants' potential interest:

  [15:36] "If I'm drafting a quarterback at 3, who better than the tutor, this guy, than a Super Bowl champion."

b. Host Perspectives

• Don LaGreca advocates for bringing Stafford to the Giants, viewing him as a stabilizing veteran who can mentor a young quarterback:

  [17:29] "I bring in Stafford to be my Kurt Warner... or a weapon to help out and try to be competitive."

• Peter Rosenberg expresses skepticism about trading for a veteran quarterback:

  [48:15] "Trading real picks for someone who's not part of the future... that feels like hustling backwards."

• Alan Hahn weighs the pros and cons, considering salary cap implications and team needs:

  [22:12] "Remember, you're taking on money... It’s gonna cost you a pick. It's gonna cost you something draft capital wise."

c. Insights from Callers

• Caller Chris argues against trading picks for Stafford, emphasizing the need for a young quarterback:

  [33:03] "The roster is barren. They need to keep the picks. Do not trade for Stafford."

• Caller Justin supports the idea of drafting young quarterbacks over acquiring veterans like Stafford:

  [37:04] "I think the jets haven't made the playoffs in 14 years... we need to see him go the young route."

d. Strategic Implications

• Alan Hahn discusses the strategic impact on the Giants and Jets, considering their current rosters and future prospects:

  [35:22] "You're trying to maximize. But is Stafford really the best one?"

• Don LaGreca emphasizes the importance of stability and winning to save the current management:

  [48:00] "I want to try to make it work. So if you bring in Stafford, you got a chance to win some games, save the regime."

3. Brief NHL and Team USA Updates

Timestamp: 27:04 – 32:00

The hosts briefly touch upon the NHL and Team USA's recent performances and player statuses.

• Alan Hahn reports on Quinn Hughes not traveling to Boston due to medical reasons:

  [30:35] "Team USA has been informed that Quinn Hughes not traveling to Boston... he wasn't medically."

• Don LaGreca shares insights on player injuries and team strategies:

  [30:07] "They were, they were in some sort of a bit where... that's what Team USA is doing to Sanderson."

4. Off-Topic Banter and Personal Anecdotes

Timestamp: 25:17 – 37:34

The hosts engage in light-hearted conversations about watching TV shows in fragmented time slots, reflecting on personal habits and experiences.

• Don LaGreca discusses his method of watching "Breaking Bad" during breaks:

  [28:12] "I binged Breaking Bad and... I watched some of it for five minutes."

• Peter Rosenberg criticizes this approach:

  [27:35] "Don thinks that's a way that you can consume a product... I'd say I wish you just didn't even watch."

5. Future Topics and Closing Remarks

Timestamp: 37:34 – End

As the episode wraps up, the hosts tease upcoming discussions, including baseball analytics and the Mets' season outlook.

• Alan Hahn mentions future topics:

  [49:53] "We'll discuss that. We also have a list to get to. We'll discuss that... where the Mets rank right now..."

Notable Quotes:

• Don LaGreca on paying congestion tolls:

  [05:23] "I'll pay six bucks for the traffic to go away. And it went away."

• Peter Rosenberg on the privilege aspect:

  [04:09] "Listen, is it privileged to say you liked it?"

• Alan Hahn on the strategic dilemma:

  [14:43] "Should either New York team guys be involved here?"

---

Conclusions and Insights

The episode offers a comprehensive exploration of the potential acquisition of Matthew Stafford by the New York Giants or Jets. The hosts present a balanced debate, weighing the benefits of a veteran quarterback against the need for long-term, sustainable team building through drafting young talent. Callers provide diverse perspectives, enriching the discussion with differing viewpoints on team strategy and financial implications.

Key Takeaways:

• Stability vs. Future Potential: The debate centers around whether securing a veteran like Stafford can provide immediate stability and mentorship or if investing in young quarterbacks will yield better long-term success.
• Financial Considerations: Acquiring Stafford involves significant financial commitments and potential draft capital sacrifices, which could impact future team building.
• Team Needs: Both the Giants and Jets face unique challenges that influence whether bringing in a veteran quarterback is a viable solution or if focusing on developing young talent is preferable.

Listeners gain valuable insights into team management decisions, the balance between immediate performance and future prospects, and the broader implications of financial strategies in professional sports.

---

Note: This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content segments as per the user's instructions, focusing solely on the substantive discussions within the episode.

Transcript

[Alan Hahn]

Are you ready to build your company's dream team? Just like in sports, finding skilled players is essential for success. With Robert Haft's winning combination of specialized recruiting professionals and award winning AI will help you find the MVPs and key role players who will have you hanging banners in the rafters. Because in business, it's all about having the experienced team on your side. At Robert Half, we know talent. Visit roberthalf.com today.

[Don LaGreca]

Don, I gotta divorce my wife and have my kids bleed out because the Giant game's on.

[Alan Hahn]

No.

[Don LaGreca]

Otherwise I'm not a real fan.

[Alan Hahn]

What kind of fan are you?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not a good one. And Rosenberg, the Peter haters who call stupid. The Peter fans who call very bright.

[Don LaGreca]

This isn't North Dakota, this is New York.

[Alan Hahn]

This is Don Hahn and Rosenberg. The best threesome I've ever heard on 880 ESPN and the ESPN New York app. It's hump day. It's a Wednesday. With Don Lagreca and Peter Rosenberg. I'm Alan Hahn. What time did you guys wake up today?

[Don LaGreca]

6:35.

[Alan Hahn]

That's decent.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right around six. Right around six.

[Alan Hahn]

All right.

[Don LaGreca]

Then the show you're on in the morning. Start at 6.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don't worry.

[Alan Hahn]

No, it starts at 8, but thanks for watching.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no, mine.

[Don LaGreca]

He means mine. I was talking about. I know what time get up starts. I also know what time, you know, Peter's morning.

[Alan Hahn]

I had to find that. Yeah. When he said 555. Right.

[Don LaGreca]

That's quite the racket. I love it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's a good. It's a good situation.

[Alan Hahn]

So this was a work from home day.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes, most days are. This one was absolute. This was. This was a. I would have sooner quit than went to work today.

[Alan Hahn]

Little chilly brick, as the kids say.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Dude, when I took the dogs out today, it was unfathomable outside. How is get up though, like you dream about?

[Alan Hahn]

Of course, like you dream about, you know, active fun. We had a full studio, had a lot of fun. I mean, you know, I did find out something though this morning that that warmed my heart, which I needed because it was very cold as I was driving into Manhattan. Is that that $9 that I was charged to drive through Manhattan is no longer going to be.

[Don LaGreca]

That's what they're saying.

[Alan Hahn]

Did you see this From Eyewitness News, ABC 7. The U.S. department of Transportation pulled its approval for the MTA's congestion pricing toll program. Now the MTA is vowing to take the decision to federal court to ensure the plan will continue. But it legally. I don't know how much they have to stand on here. And right away, the change in administration, one of the first things that they went for is this, this toll. Now, now here's the thing. Was it working? And for some people, if you feel like it was working, is it worth it?

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, well, it was for me. I was a big fan. This is a very disappointing bit of news for me.

[Alan Hahn]

Wow.

[Don LaGreca]

Because I said, Peter, when we talked about it on the air during Nikay show, I said, listen, I will pay the extra six for me because I come in through the Lincoln Tunnel. So I get a discount because I'm already getting hit for the toll for the tunnel. So it ended up being six. And I said, I'll pay the extra six if it means that I won't have any traffic. And I have not had a bit of traffic going home or going to work once in the month that this has been instituted. And I have also heard from people that in the morning it's even better, like grass. I had to come in in the morning and flew in like. So we were, we were, we were talking to each other while this was all going on, saying, I think this is the dream that we're getting. Exactly. We said, I will pay the extra money if it means no traffic. And. And it is meant no traffic. So it looked like it was working, at least from my end. I can't speak for everybody because I only, I only come in through the Lincoln Tunnel. At the time that I come in, it's usually like around 12:30 in the afternoon. So I can't speak for everybody, but it was working for me and I'll be sad to see it go. Quite honestly, I.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen, is it privileged to say you liked it?

[Don LaGreca]

Sure.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But guess what? You know, you earned being a man of privilege and you can afford the toll. And I have to admit, did it affect me a bit? Yes. I would hesitate and be like, ah, is it worth going out to spend $9? Sure. But when I did go spend it, I did find it to be a little bit lighter out there in the streets.

[Don LaGreca]

I did.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I was super anti as you knew.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, well, I was too, because, you know, you could throw privilege out there. Listen, we all make a living that's probably beyond a lot of people that are listening. But everybody pays for something. And I'm willing to pay to not have traffic. So, you know, maybe I pay a little extra because I like Starbucks over something else. Or maybe I'm willing to pay a little extra because I want my car to do things other cars can't do. I mean, that's just life, right? So I could afford for me the extra six bucks to not see traffic. I'd be red hot if I didn't see a change, then I'd feel like I was getting robbed. But I looked at it. How many times been sitting in traffic going, but I paid 20 bucks for this traffic to go away. Well, that's kind of how I looked at it. I'll pay six bucks for the traffic to go away. And it went away.

[Alan Hahn]

Now, did it go away because it's January? Because, guys, I mean, I've been commuting it to Manhattan for 20 years, all right? And the one thing I always learned was the worst traffic was November, December, and then in January, it gets light because you're just not getting. The holidays are over, you're not getting the same kind of impact. Now we're into February now, and it still seems to be the same as far as being lighter than normal. We'll know now. This probably won't be. It's not like eradicated tomorrow, right? It's not over. You know, this is gonna be a battle and they'll go back and forth on this thing. But it really is that kind of feeling of, is it wrong to charge people to drive in Manhattan? I mean, it feels like it's wrong. But what's worse to me was, I'll tell you what, like what you said I would pay for less traffic. Okay, fine. But you know what else I want to know? Where's the money going? It wasn't going to make the roads better. It wasn't going to make the drive. Like, because there's still potholes, there's still a mess, there's still construction constantly. That stuff is still there. That money was going to the MTA for trains. Like, hang on a second. I'm paying a tax to not make the commute better. Like, all I'm doing is making it, well, less people. But the roads still suck. Like, how does that make it better? So to me, it was just so ass backwards that while yes, in principle, I love the fact that I'm no longer spending two hours in my car to go 30 miles. Now I'm now saying to myself, but the roads are still a mess. Now I'm going faster on these roads.

[Don LaGreca]

I got to worry about transportation's transportation. So that's what they're going. That's the way that they look at it. And there were a lot of people saying, I'm driving because the trains are a mess. Well, if they correct the trains, then maybe people won't drive because now they can use the train, but the train's.

[Alan Hahn]

Not convenient for everyone.

[Don LaGreca]

That told stories. And maybe he was making it up. My dad had been known to exaggerate to get me to shut up in the backseat. But, you know, whenever we'd be on the parkway, he'd scream whenever he would throw his 30 cents in at the time to pay the toll that they were told when they built the parkway, this toll would only last for about 10 years when it was paid for and then the toll would go away. Heard the same thing about the bridges and tunnels. Yeah, you. Or five bucks or whatever. But when the tunnel's paid for, we won't have to pay for it. And no, not only did it not go away, it continued to go up. So I think everybody kind of accepts that when you get charged things that there is some sort of like a crookedness to it or you're kind of being robbed. But you, you, you figure it out to yourself, all right, is this worth it? Is this worth the extra bucks for the convenience or the, or the flavor or the pleasure of whatever it is that you're purchasing? And then you, that's the war you have inside your head every day.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm curious throughout the day to hear from our audience whether it's like all out celebration because people are tired of sending the money, or if some people feel the same way that they noticed a decrease in traffic. But to your point, Alan, I really, even though I did think things were improved, it was such a small sample size, like we had to get to the spring.

[Alan Hahn]

We don't know yet.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We just don't.

[Alan Hahn]

I agree, I agree. And then when school's out in the summer, we know it gets lighter as well. But I just feel like we don't know yet if it's had a true impact because January has always been a lighter traffic month. We're now in obviously deep into February and we have not seen an increase, you know, as bad as it's.

[Don LaGreca]

We haven't had a gridlock alert day. You're right. The holidays were the worst.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, worst.

[Don LaGreca]

You know, there was, there was a day where I was going to go home to do the Ranger pregame show from my studio at home because the Rangers were playing a, a 9:00 face off in Calgary. And I had to turn around and go back to the studio because in like an hour and 15 minutes I went like 10 blocks and couldn't get out of the city. You know, I haven't had that. But all I know is, is that going home every day, it's usually more going home than coming in, because like I said, I come in at 12:30. It's the afternoon, there's not much traffic. But going home every day for the last month, there'd always be at least one day a week where it'd be backed up at the tunnel or backed up on 9th Avenue, and it would take extra. And I have not had that issue. I have just basically, the only thing that stopped me between where we work and the Lincoln Tunnel were the lights.

[Alan Hahn]

Mm.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah, So I noticed it. But you're right. I don't have a full year sample size. And listen, the reason I know, guys, I could have taken the bridge and avoided the toll. I could have taken to George Washington. It would have been maybe an extra 5, 10 minutes of my trip. But I. Because of the privilege you were talking about, I said, you know what? I don't want to go an extra time. I'm going to test this out. I'm going to pay the money and see if it's working. So you did have an alternative, at least? I did. Because where we're in the 60s, I could have just went north and just taken the bridge home.

[Alan Hahn]

Right. Well, the U.S. transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, is the one that announced this, and he said that the he and the agency will work with New York State on an orderly termination of the tolls. But the MTA chair and CEO, Jano Lieber, released a statement saying the MTA has already filed papers in federal court in response to the DOT's letter. And so this thing is just going to go on and on. But, you know, for those of us who, when we first heard about, were outraged, and then it was put on pause, and then it came back out again, and then, you know, starting January, it started to hit. I guess that's what we're trying to figure out. We all have our experience with it. What is your experience with it right now? And. And do you feel like, you know what, it actually wasn't so bad? Or are you like, no, this is ridiculous. I'm not spending any more money to drive when I have to. This thing has to go 800 now. 9, 3, 7, 7. It's just something because we're drive time, literally, which means a lot of people are in their cars. So this affects a lot of people.

[Don LaGreca]

Absolutely. I got a text from DPA trolls. I'm debating on whether this can make.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Come on, come on. He offended. He somehow went after me about tolls.

[Don LaGreca]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How Is that.

[Alan Hahn]

Where do you live?

[Peter Rosenberg]

What does that have to do with anything?

[Alan Hahn]

How much do you like? How much driving do you do?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I live on the Upper west side, so anytime I drive 11 blocks south, I have to pay.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, I'm gonna throw that out there, Jacob, if you got to dump it, go ahead.

[Peter Rosenberg]

By the way, I'm sure it has nothing to do with that, Alan.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, let's see.

[Don LaGreca]

What it just says is, now that Peter doesn't have to pay for sex, he's got plenty of money for congestion pricing.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, why would you have to. Don't.

[Don LaGreca]

You don't have to dump that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's just.

[Don LaGreca]

I just want to be careful, that's all.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I wanted to have Jacob ready.

[Don LaGreca]

I thought it was fine. I mean, listen, it's offensive and I feel like you were wronged in some way, but I'm culpable, too. But I thought it was funny and I wanted to share with the audience.

[Alan Hahn]

Seriously, honestly, like. Like, if he was old enough, I might think that Rick was the other shooter in jfk. Like, honestly, he is the guy from the grass. You know, it has to be every. They just come from nowhere, these Bullets.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Every time from the grassy knoll for no reason.

[Alan Hahn]

It's just. It's wild. We have a lot of other sports headlines, of course, to get to, and from a Giants perspective, the Matthew Stafford story is definitely one to watch. But it's not just the Giants. You know, can you imagine seeing the jets also decide, okay, well, we moved on from Aaron Rodgers, but if you think we're going young quarterback, you're crazy. We have a shot. Okay, so we'll get younger at quarterback, but he's still 37, and that's Matthew Stafford. I mean, there are definitely options to consider when it comes to, like. Like, you have to think about all that. Remember, we said, what would be like for Aaron Rodgers guys to move on from him? We said, well, what's your alternative, Sam Darnold? You know, is it. Can you possibly get somebody in the draft and then start real young and your head coach now has to start with a brand new young quarterback that you got to bring in? Do you find a bridge? Do you kick the can with. With. With Justin Fields and hope maybe something finally catches with him? You know, we're going to get a caller who will say Kyle Trask, because it seems like every time we have this conversation, that guy calls. But bottom line is there aren't great options. So is Stafford really the best one? Adam Schefter, on his podcast gave us the latest on Stafford's situation with the Rams and how it could lead to, I think might end up a bidding war for Matthew Stafford.

[Adam Schefter]

Matthew Stafford and the Rams, as we tape this Tuesday morning, February 18th, they've been trying to see if they can work out a new contract and if they can, Matthew Stafford will remain in Los Angeles and he'll remain a Ram. But he's due $35 million this year. None of it is guaranteed. And it's up to those two sides to figure out a number that the Rams can live with that Matthew Stafford is more comfortable with that would enable him to continue and finish his NFL career with the Rams. That's the goal, I believe, of both sides. But if they can't figure it out and if they disagree on what that number is and should be, then that's where the trade scenario comes into play and that's where teams are waiting to see if the Rams are open and willing to move off of Matthew Stafford. Hawks could go south and if and when they go south, that means that the busyness that we're talking about would pick up dramatically with the potential of another Stafford trade.

[Alan Hahn]

Other than Miles Garrett, this would be the biggest free agent or player you could acquire. Is the best way to put he's not a free agent either is Garrett, but right. Garrett leads the way. If they're really going to move him because he's just an all world talent in his prime. But Stafford, especially a quarterback, especially like he still showed you there's something left in the tank. There's going to be several teams vying to get him. And keep in mind what he just said. If they can't come to terms on a number that it works for the Rams, if they trade him after June 1st, they'll save $27 million in cap space. So clearly they're not looking to pay him the 50 plus million that he probably sees himself worth as a top 10 quarterback. So somebody's going to be willing to have to be willing to make that kind of a payment to Stafford. Should either New York team guys be involved here?

[Don LaGreca]

Well, I think for sure the Giants should be involved and I will go back to the Indianapolis game. Post game, Giants beat the Colts. What did Brian Dable say in the post game? Hey, when you get quarterback play, look what happens. His job is going to be on the line this year. As ridiculous as that is. It should have been, he should have been out at the end of this past year. But John Maris said after the season or when he said I'm bringing these guys back is that I'm not going to be happy if we're sitting here next year with another four or five win season. Which means that Brian Dabble's got to win games to save his job. The Joe Joe Shane's got to win games to save his job. And if they draft one of these young quarterbacks, maybe that does grab some security. But if it goes sideways and they lose a bunch of games, they might have a new regime for that young quarterback. So if you go back to the Eli Manning era, the Giants went out and got Kurt Warner and Kurt Warner still obviously had something left because after he left the Giants went to a Super bowl with the Cardinals and The giants were 5 and 4 when he was benched for Eli 5 and 2 during the course of that beginning of that season. But that helped Eli then become the quarterback. So if I could find a way to be able to acquire Matthew Stafford without having to give up the third overall pick, to me that would be a dream. I bring in Stafford to be my Kurt Warner, I draft one of the quarterbacks and then I have at it. He's 37 years old, he'll be able to play for a couple of seasons while my quarterback gets ready. Or if I'm not interested in either of these two quarterbacks, wouldn't I want to be interested in a Matthew Stafford to give myself a legitimate quarterback with a weapon like neighbors with some maneuverability to maybe if I trade down, obviously get maybe the Rams 26th pick and be able to draft somebody another weapon to help out and try to be competitive and try to win some games to save my job. I think that would make sense if I'm. If I'm the New York Giants.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So if you're able to get Stafford and still have a high enough pick.

[Don LaGreca]

To get your quarterback, I mean I would if you was away. Here's what I would do. I don't know if the Rams would do it because I would be. I'd have a real tough time trading the third overall pick for Matthew Stafford. He's 37 years old. He hasn't thrown for 4,000 yards since 21. He had 20 touchdowns and interceptions last year. I mean he's a very good quarterback but I'm not killing myself in throwing a third overall pick. But what I would I maybe think about the first round pick in 25, in 26 and that I can draft my quarterback this year and have Matthew Stafford as my veteran, I might consider that. But if I'm able to do without having to give a number a first round pick. Yeah. Why wouldn't the Giants be.

[Alan Hahn]

Some people are suggesting a first round pick is going to be involved. And I'm with you. You can't give one that high. No. A future. You know, but. But I don't think you can do that. But it's still something. Remember, you're taking on money like you're helping them, you're helping the Rams save money and you're taking on that money. So there's gotta be. That's gotta be in play. Now. It's gonna cost you a pick. It's gonna cost you something draft capital wise. But as we've said many times before, if you're trying to get a quarterback in this draft, even at number three, you have to probably move up like you're. It's good like for the jets. It's going to cost you draft capital to move up if you want to get one of the quarterbacks. And if that's the case, it's draft capital for an unknown or a known. And where is your roster right now? I think the jets roster, if you could argue based on last year going into the season it was considered one of the best rosters in the league. It certainly underperformed, but it was considered that. And you thought the quarterback was the difference. I actually feel like this is a bigger play for the jets than it is for the Giants because Joe Shane, right. This is, this is the save your job kind of. Kind of move. But are the Giants in that place yet? That they should make a move for a guy like him versus the jets, who look, if they. You got this should convince Garrett Wilson to stay. You. You bring a guy in with your two running backs with a defense that's got to be better. And now you look and say, well, the Stafford effect would be what you were hoping to get out of Rogers. And then you can feel like, all right, you're right back in the mix. Now with a quarterback like this. This is a guy that in Philadelphia, guys in that terrible weather.

[Don LaGreca]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

He's got two for 324 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions. Like there's something left. No doubt.

[Don LaGreca]

And he just turned 37 on. On February 7th, so it's not like he's going to be 38 during the course of this season.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, you got younger at quarterback if you bring him in.

[Don LaGreca]

Right. But listen, I would do it if I were the jets as well. But. But here's the thing. Unless my theory was off, I still believe one of the reasons they got out of the Aaron Rodgers situation was because they wanted to kind of tamp down expectations for Aaron Glenn. They go out and get Matthew Stafford, man, there is going to be.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't think they're. I don't think it was Tampa down. Don, like, I know what you're saying, and I understand it. I don't think it was about tamping down. I think it was just simply about, we've got to have one voice. Like, you know, Bill Parcells. That's his whole thing, the one voice. We gotta have one voice. One. We gotta be driving one direction together. And, you know, with Rogers, with all the talent, ability, everything else, they know, like, you don't. You're not getting that. And if you can't fall for that banana in the tailpipe another time and think that it's gonna happen, even. Even with him promising and begging and all that stuff, they just had to know we've already played this game. Fool me once. Right. You know, that whole situation.

[Don LaGreca]

I get it.

[Alan Hahn]

And I just don't think that. I don't think it was about Tampa down. I think Aaron Glenn wants to come in here and win right away.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, with Matthew Stafford, if you acquire Matthew Stafford, that's going to be the expectation.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that's. I was going to say.

[Don LaGreca]

And that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's. Now you're also heaping some pressure on yourself. You make a move to get Matt Stafford, you find a way then to keep Garrett Wilson. I mean, maybe there's a world you can even keep devonte Adams if you're getting Matt Stafford. Yeah. Aaron Glenn gets no Runway. Then it's absolutely.

[Alan Hahn]

That's okay. The defense. The defense was supposed to be one of the best in the league, and it fell to pieces because Robert. Right after Robert Sala was fired. But the talent, the players are still there. They've still got to get a guy in the middle of that. Of that defensive line. They know that to help them because they were getting killed on the run. Jermaine Johnson comes back from injury and you hope he's got some. You know, he's got that pop back in his feet after the Achilles, but they still have talent on this team. This is not a rebuild situation like we've seen in the past. Look at the roster. It's still a good roster. That's why I just feel for Darren Muji. Like, this would be the move that you make and that signifies this is not a rebuild. This is a reload.

[Don LaGreca]

True.

[Alan Hahn]

And we expected more out of this team last year.

[Don LaGreca]

But you just said the magic phrase about the money and how much you're going to have to give up if you're the jets is going to depend on how much money the Rams are going to have to eat of this contract. So a team with cap space is not going to have to give up as much. 16.9 million of space for the jets in 2025, the 21st ranked amount of cap space in the NFL. Not a ton of money left.

[Alan Hahn]

No, but remember, that's still, you know, Adams after January, June 1, Rodgers after June 1. You got to think of that. Okay, so you'll get, you're going to get money like it's all, all post June 1st.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Does it rain on the parade a little bit. Even though again, I know we've talked about how misleading stats can be. Does it rain on the parade at all, though, to see that Roger stats are better than Stafford's last year? More yards, more touchdowns.

[Alan Hahn]

How believable. Again, all that stuff. How believable Stafford was playing in games that mattered. Right?

[Don LaGreca]

That's true.

[Alan Hahn]

Like that, you know, you're having a little. You're getting of your defense of your opponents and stuff. How much of those Rogers numbers do you really want to buy into? And I'm not saying that they're fugazi, but you know. Yeah. So look, a guy that gets injured, we know that. So you'd have to make sure you have somebody stable as the backup quarterback, which we know wasn't the issue two years ago when Rogers got injured. But it is something to think about. Everybody's going to think about it. The Steelers, by the way, could be the biggest, the biggest landing spot for him. If you think about a team for him to go to and win right.

[Don LaGreca]

Away, they're going to be suitors. And also Stafford's going to have a say on this too. So does he want to go to a Giant team that isn't going to be ready to win right away? The Giants will be better, no question. But they're not going to be able to compete the way the Jets, I think could with Stafford. But then, I don't know, you know, Pittsburgh sounds awful attractive, great coaching staff, a team that seems to always win. And now that you improve the quarterback situation, now a chance to take a couple of steps forward. Yeah, I think both teams should be in on this. But I know there's a lot you are almost hinting on, like why with the Giants? I think it makes sense for the Giants too, for the right price. Again, I'm not giving the third overall pickup, but if I'm drafting a quarterback at 3. Who better than the tutor, this guy, than a Super bowl champion. It's really Kurt Warner. Mach 2. He really is.

[Alan Hahn]

That's an interesting scenario. If you can get out of that, right? If you can get out of losing the pick and somehow one of the quarterbacks does fall to you, then, then, yeah, I think then you had that kind of recreate the scenario from 2004.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Get in the zone AutoZone.

[Don LaGreca]

Welcome to the A to Z savings event at AutoZone. Thanks. I need to change my oil.

[Alan Hahn]

So how much is an oil filter.

[Don LaGreca]

Free when you buy five quarts of oil? Right now we have a special on Valvoline Advanced Full synthetic or high mileage motor oil. The oil filter is free with the Valvoline Advanced full synthetic or high mileage motor oil. Yep.

[Alan Hahn]

The free oil filter is part of.

[Don LaGreca]

The A to Z savings event only at AutoZone.

[Alan Hahn]

Get in the zone.

[Don LaGreca]

AutoZone restrictions apply. This is a PSA, or public sock announcement. Experts have declared Bomba's socks as the best way to warm up chilly feet. These pairs are super cushy soft and designed for maximum coziness. Plus, for every pair purchased, another pair will be donated. So someone in need of essential clothing can stay warm this, this winter. Go to bombas.com espnpod and use code espnpod for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O M b-s.com espnpod and use Code espnpod this episode is brought.

[Alan Hahn]

To you by Nerds Gummy Clusters. The sweet treat that always elevates the vibe with a sweet gummy surrounded with tangy, crunchy nerds. Every bite of Nerds Gummy Clusters brings.

[Don LaGreca]

You a whole new world of flavor.

[Alan Hahn]

Whether it's, whether it's game night, on the way to a concert, or kicking back with your crew, unleash your senses with Nerds Gummy Clusters. Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don LaGreca]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Noticing a trend, by the way. Can you help me? No one notices it. I'm gonna take that as a no.

[Don LaGreca]

I guess not.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I'm enjoying it.

[Alan Hahn]

I, I, I am noticing that Jacob is trending towards appealing to Don more than ever.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, he's feeling it, right?

[Alan Hahn]

It's almost like there's a side of Jake that like he, he, he kind of has kept to himself and Don is bringing it out and he's like in the crates going like, oh, I Like this one too. Oh, yeah. And it's all in the same genre.

[Don LaGreca]

Peter, I found out something very troubling. I didn't get a chance to tell you. Oh, no.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay, to the point of a song came back.

[Don LaGreca]

Dom wasn't here. We haven't learned yet, Peter, from our.

[Alan Hahn]

Previous discussion about you can't watch TV.

[Don LaGreca]

Shows and movies in breaks and fully enjoy the experience.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's not back, is he?

[Don LaGreca]

Well, I'm here. No, no, but what did you.

[Alan Hahn]

How did you tell me you saw Interstellar?

[Don LaGreca]

Oh, I was just asking the guys about Interstellar. I watched it over like a five day period during breaks, during a show and during like. Oh, I had to go downstairs to get something out of the printer. Let me watch some of it for five minutes.

[Alan Hahn]

What?

[Don LaGreca]

And I got to the end. We tried, Peter. We did.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I tried with this a long time ago. Allen. Don thinks that's a way that you can consume a product. If I made a TV show and I found out that someone consumed it that way, I'd say I wish you just didn't even watch.

[Don LaGreca]

But it's that or not watch. This all started because I binged Breaking Bad and it was a lot of times I binged it being able to watch full episodes, but there were times where there was an episode that I watched during breaks of the Michael K Show during COVID That's not how you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Do Breaking Bad, man.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, but if you want to do it and that's the only way you can do it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It can't be the only way you can do it, man.

[Don LaGreca]

Can't you have my back, Alan?

[Alan Hahn]

No, because this is, this is revealing a lot about the last few years. Breaking news here on the. The four nations front. Don, I don't know if you've seen this.

[Don LaGreca]

They've killed the.

[Alan Hahn]

What?

[Don LaGreca]

They've killed Jeff Sanderson. So that or Jake Sanderson.

[Alan Hahn]

So that or Jeff.

[Don LaGreca]

Jeff, Jake.

[Alan Hahn]

Jeff, Jake. Pierre Lebrun says that Quinn Hughes is not traveling to Boston. Wasn't medically clear. All right, so now yesterday, now Team USA looking to bring in a couple other players just as insurance because there's an illness going around through the team. This is why I hate the fact they're playing the Canadiens again. Because that, that, that first match that took so much out of them, it was everything. They emptied the tank and now it's like you want the last win, the first one. That was cathartic. Yes, but this is, this is going to go bad now. But don't love this now.

[Don LaGreca]

This is what I had heard all right.

[Alan Hahn]

McAvoy's got all kinds of issues. He can't play just to get well.

[Don LaGreca]

McAvoy's out. Right. That's why I had heard yesterday that Quinn Hughes was on his way to Boston.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Don LaGreca]

But he couldn't play unless there was an injury or illness to a player that was currently on the roster. Sanderson was set to replace McAvoy. That's why there were all these memes all over social media of like Anderson getting beat. Was there some sort of a bit where in. In WWE like somebody was in. McMahon was in a hospital bed and they're beating on his legs or something.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Cold beat him up with a. With a bedpan.

[Don LaGreca]

They were. That was getting air. Like that's what the. That's what Team USA is doing to Sanderson so that they can now play Quinn Hughes. So. But. But the flu has been going through all the teams. Zabanajad couldn't play the other day because he was sick. So it just some. So I think what they were hoping was all right, maybe somebody will be able to not be able to go so that Quinn Hughes can play. But now you're telling me he's not there.

[Alan Hahn]

No.

[Don LaGreca]

So that's contrary to the reports that I had heard yesterday.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Now again, this is Pierre LeBrun, but my good friend Michael Russo, who's a well respected hockey writer, sure did repost it. So I'm taking it as okay, that's a cosign. But yeah, he is. The team USA has been informed that Quinn Hughes not traveling to Boston to join the team because he wasn't medically.

[Don LaGreca]

Cleared now to begin with.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. So this is. This is not. This is setting up like I said. I know everybody wants to see the rematch. I'm good. You got the win. I much. I would have much happier if they had to play like Sweden in the final because nobody cares right then. Then you're like, fine because the big game was the game and you won it. You empty the tank. Now it's like you got to play him twice in the second time. You're not going to be 100%.

[Don LaGreca]

This. This Peter doesn't you know what he wishes?

[Alan Hahn]

Don't Don.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If it was to Alan, it was up to Allen. After Apollo got killed by Drago, Rocky would have taken another fight against the softer opponent.

[Don LaGreca]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He didn't want to see Rock.

[Alan Hahn]

That's ridiculous. It's two different people.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He wanted to tell the story.

[Don LaGreca]

It doesn't make sense.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The point is you go, you stare right in the face.

[Alan Hahn]

No, no. You know what this is? This is when in 1980 they beat the Russians and then they'd have to play the Russians again. That doesn't make sense. Already beat them, put them behind you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it could have happened that way then too.

[Alan Hahn]

It could have, but it didn't go. That's what made it. That's what made it so amazing. It's. It was but one time.

[Don LaGreca]

The tournament is now. They got to do it again. And, but, but your whole attitude. Alan and Peter will understand. This is a lot of like 1, 2, 3, let's be good. Like, you don't want to be great. You don't want the best possible scenario. And listen, if they happen to lose because you know, every. Everybody's got the flu or they're shorthanded, they'll be, they'll be in a built in excuse. But sit there. I don't want to play Sweden or Finland. This is it, man. After what happened on Saturday, let's do it again. And if they lose, all right, they lose. But don't you want to dare to be great, Peter?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, well, by the way, it's the only choice you got.

[Alan Hahn]

But they were great. I'm good. We were great. I'm all set now. Everybody's hurt. Everybody's sick.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, boy.

[Alan Hahn]

Don't want to hear. Anyways, calls to get to 800-919-3776.

[Don LaGreca]

McMahon's a hell of an actor in that clip.

[Alan Hahn]

That clip, isn't it awesome? Big Ste. Send it to us. Stevie B.

[Don LaGreca]

Thank you.

[Alan Hahn]

Steve James in New Jersey on Stafford and his availability potentially for the New York teams. Go ahead, James.

[Chris]

Good evening, gentlemen. Appreciate the call. Welcome to the new show, gentlemen. I disagree with the Stafford or even Aaron Rodgers, which you guys were mentioning, which I never called about, but I feel like bringing in veteran quarterbacks of that magnitude won't help the team based on the depth that they do have and the strength of their offensive line. They're going to continue to struggle on what they are if they don't correct those mistakes.

[Don LaGreca]

So it really doesn't matter what veteran.

[Chris]

Quarterback you do bring in those older quarterbacks in better situations. Yes, I heard the Steelers that might work in some aspects, but coming to New York, it's not going to work.

[Alan Hahn]

Hurt. Last year Andrew Thomas was, was injured like you're hoping that doesn't happen again. And he's back to being the Pro bowl level left tackle that, that he had been. And that line got better as the year went on. I mean, again, they missed him desperately. But I don't think the line's the issue. But I do agree with James on one thing though, and that's why I said, Don, what I said about, you know, which team really could use them more. I don't know if the Giants are close enough yet. Yes, you have Malik neighbors, but you know, there's question marks in other areas including tight end, including, you know, wide receiver depth. You know, is this the place? Are they at that place? Unlike the jets who just feel like a year ago they were considered a team that could be good enough to contend and it all fell apart because they had no leadership. But they changed the leadership. Can you still be that team?

[Don LaGreca]

Well, well, that's why I think it's important if you're going to do this that you also now have the young quarterback. So what you're doing is, yeah, you' him take a step forward and be functional for once and not embarrass yourself as a franchise. Start winning some games and your young quarterback gets to learn from a future hall of Famer and eventually takes over and you can get to where you need to go.

[Alan Hahn]

Remember, he wants an extension. So if you're bringing him in, you're not bringing him in for a one and done, you're bringing him in for multiple years.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, but what would the extension be? So let's say he's got another year left, 37.

[Alan Hahn]

What'd you get him? Third.

[Don LaGreca]

So, so it's a three year deal, right. And you draft a guy, you're going.

[Alan Hahn]

To make him sit three, three years.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, it doesn't have to be three years. Why do I, why would Stafford have to be the starting quarterback in his third year of the contract?

[Alan Hahn]

All right, so the first two.

[Don LaGreca]

All right, what's my, what's.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, you're getting a rookie quarterback and he's already got two years burnt on his, on his member, on his rookie deal. And you're trying to get the, you're trying to maximize.

[Don LaGreca]

Maybe it's just a one year. I don't know how, how would it end up working out? You know, maybe, maybe there's an injury and he plays right away. I mean, who knows, right?

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Don LaGreca]

You don't know when it's going to happen. It ended up happening. What was it, Week 10 for the Giants in that first year for Eli when I think the attention could have been, could have been a lot earlier, but Warner was winning a bunch of games.

[Alan Hahn]

Wasn't that, wasn't that in an era? It was 20 years ago when you weren't drafting Quarterbacks and saying they have to play right away because of the five year deal thing. Like we didn't do that then that became new after 2010.

[Don LaGreca]

But you're also a regime that feels like I got to win games to save my job.

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Don LaGreca]

And as a Giant fan, listen, I'm no fan of those guys but I want them to succeed and I don't want them to have to draft a quarterback and then in the second year of that quarterback have a new head coach, new offensive coordinator, new general manager and then starting over again. So I want to try to make this work with Shane and Dabel. As much as I thought they should be fired, they're here. So I want to make it work. And the only way it's going to work is to start winning some games. So if you bring in Stafford, you got a chance to win some games, save the regime and then you kind of figure it out from there. I to not draft the quarterback and think that you're now going to win in the next two, three years with Stafford at quarterback. I do think that's fool's gold. I think they're too far away for that kind of a pipe dream in too tough a division. But I am tempted to think about it because I want to make sure this young quarterback has the best possible.

[Alan Hahn]

Tutor and who say you have to use the 3 pick for a quarterback. You can always get one later in the draft with less pressure and then.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But is that one you're really banking on for the future?

[Alan Hahn]

Everybody loves Jackson Dart, so we'll see if he ends up staying, you know, if he's staying outside the first round or if after pro day season he's suddenly skyrocketing. We'll see. But you're right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just. I to the point Allen just made about how the concept of we're going to get the kid and have him watch the vet is kind of dated, don't you think? It's more likely if they're going to find the kid. Guys in this era, they don't bother with Stafford. They get the kid right. He won't start the season and by week six he'll be playing. And that's how it goes.

[Don LaGreca]

It's only dated because there's just this constant panic that we've got to get the most out of our quarterback before his fifth year option and we got to try to make it happen now. Did it not benefit Mahomes to sit for a full year?

[Alan Hahn]

It's such a thing. You're absolutely right. It really is. But that's a, that's a reality that a lot of these guys face. But I think the bigger thing is, is what you said earlier about Shane and also Dable is that they know they're on borrowed time. And so the win now thing, definitely.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, here's the.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If they don't, if they don't get some vet to play who's good and they're, and they're just running out, you know, Drew Locke next year or devito and they drop to one in six and then they bring in a rookie, what's the standard for how they could get another year out of that? I don't see how they can survive that. Even if the rookie looks pretty good.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, well, he'd have to look really good for them to get really good. Really good. Yeah. Justin and Tom Driver. Hey, Justin.

[Justin]

Hey, guys. Thank you for taking my phone call as always. You know, I agree with the last call. I don't think any New York football situation is good with Stafford, in my opinion. You know, if the jets were to go that route, in my opinion, then you might as well have just brought back Rogers. And the jets draft the quarterback and he sits in the wings behind Rodgers. Even if he goes down that later in the season, you can kind of bring him in. Like Don was saying with Kurt Warner and later Eli finished out the year. But you know, also too, I wanted to kind of push back on Don's comment. You know, I think Rogers was gone because I agree they wanted with what Han was saying with the one voice and not wanting the side distractions. But my point is with that, regardless of the take, the jets haven't made the playoffs in 14 years. There's going to be expectations there. Once the nostalgia of Rodgers, with the fan base being gone, it's going to hit home and the team's going to be like, wow, we're 15 now, 16 years, not making the playoffs. So in my opinion as a Jets and I want to see him go the young route and hopefully they get it right. And the same thing with the Giants, they draft the young quarterback and they have instead of a stop gap for a year or two, you know, with Stafford, I don't think that's the right way to go.

[Alan Hahn]

Thank you, Justin. The only problem is with the jets is that if the more you add on to it now it's been 15 years now it's been 16 years and you're still waiting like that, that really, really does start to damage your brand. You got to break the spell.

[Don LaGreca]

See, I'm not even worried about that. As much as I want to try to strike while the iron's heart where I've like got talented players, well, that's true too.

[Alan Hahn]

And you got to pay them. Garrett Sauce, these guys got to get paid.

[Don LaGreca]

So that's the point is that you want to make sure that you've got a chance to win with these guys before they start walking. Are you going to have to start paying them? And now your options are even more limited down the road because now there's no cap space to be able to aggressively go after the next quarterback. All right, if you're telling me there's going to be a quarterback at 7 or if you're telling me these rumors that they might trade up with Tennessee and get the first overall pick, okay, that's a way to go youth. If you want Justin Fields, all right, that's a way to go youth. But really from a youth standpoint, what are your options? Justin Fields and hope somebody drops to 7 or mortgage the future to move up for one of these two young quarterback. Like, what are the youth options, guys?

[Alan Hahn]

There aren't many.

[Don LaGreca]

There's tons of veteran options. There's almost no youth options.

[Alan Hahn]

Right. If you're going to go veteran option, wouldn't you want to go with the best one? Because you're going to have to. Sam Donald's not going to cost Che. He's not going to be cheap. You have to pay him. Like, you know, Kirk Cousins, like, all right, another guy off, off Achilles who we don't know. You don't know what you're getting. Nothing feels more bridged than that, right? Kirk Cousins, like, honestly, is there anything more bridge than him at this point in his career?

[Don LaGreca]

So Sam Darnold, he could be your franchise quarterback, but are you willing to pay north of 40, 45, maybe $50 million for him?

[Alan Hahn]

Right?

[Don LaGreca]

For him, yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

That you might have to. And again, that might be, that might be the right thing to do. Especially if you don't have to give them a long term deal, a way you can get out. But that's why when the Stafford thing comes out and, and Shefty's talking about it and you know the Rams are trying to negotiate down and he wants more that turns this into, okay, this guy might be available and if he is, how do either one of these quarterback starved teams in this wind starved market, how could they possibly both just say no, I'm all set.

[Don LaGreca]

This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate First. Like you know to check the date of the big game first before you accidentally buy tickets on your 20th wedding anniversary and have to spend the next 20 years of your marriage making up for it. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate Savings. Vary terms of supply. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, IL thanks for listening to.

[Alan Hahn]

The Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Dropkick Murphy's and Bad Religion are coming to the Stone Pony Summer Stage on Wednesday, August 13th. Can you imagine how warm from August is going to feel compared to what today? Well, ESPN New York has your chance to score tickets on the ESPN New York app. Just find the contest tile, submit your entry. It's all brought to you by Live Nation. Tickets go on sale tomorrow [e-mail] how about some game time Brought to you by Tullamore Do Irish Whiskey because when it's game time, it's Tully time.

[Don LaGreca]

Oh yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

St. John's back in action tonight. 10th ranked Johnny's on the road against DePaul. It's a late start. Little 9:00pm action out there in Chicago. That's Chicago, right? The pole. Yeah, sure. Game time. Parts of my Telemar do the original triple distilled, triple blended, triple cast matured Irish whiskey. Be sure to grab a Telemardu or try the new Telemore do honey, during tonight's action, glasses up to enjoying Telemore do responsibly. More calls to get to Chris in Rockland. You're up next Chris.

[Chris]

What's going on fellas? So as a Giant fan, I cannot stand this Stafford talk. The last thing I want a GM on the hot seat to do is trade picks for an aging quarterback. For the last time. That quarterback had to play hero ball for a team that was as thin as the New York Giants when he was on the Lions. He got hurt every time. The Giants have three players, maybe Thomas, Dexter, Lawrence and neighbors who are actual cornerstone guys. Everyone else is replaceable. This roster is barren. They need to keep the picks. They should have got rid of Dable and Shane. They are so far away from competing. Keep the picks. Do not trade for Stafford.

[Don LaGreca]

But I. But again, I'm not. I'm not getting Stafford to go win a championship. I'm getting Stafford.

[Chris]

Why are you trading picks for a.

[Don LaGreca]

QB right now but do we know what picks for I wouldn't give up the third pick. I don't think anybody's saying to give up the third I wouldn't give up.

[Chris]

A second round pick form this roster is so barren you need top 50.

[Don LaGreca]

Somebody's got to play quarterback bro. Somebody's got to play quarterback.

[Chris]

Quarterback for sure. But bringing in a guy like Stafford to try and uplift this roster and if he would cost a second round pick that's another guy who could come in and make an impact day one. So now you're banking on Stafford and.

[Don LaGreca]

What either want them to draft who do you want them to draft Abdul.

[Chris]

Carter or Cam Ward? Give me a defensive end so we can either rush the passer or a quarterback so we can Wait a second.

[Alan Hahn]

What are you doing with Kayvon Thibodeau and Brian Burns?

[Chris]

Kayvon Thibodeau is an absolute jag. He's a borderline bus.

[Alan Hahn]

But what are you doing with I didn't ask you what if you think he's good. I didn't ask you if he was good, Chris. I asked you what you were going to do with him.

[Chris]

So you have him rotate with Abdul Carter. Because the Eagles clearly just proved and the Giants proved both times to be Tom Brady that having a pass rush that can rotate and continuously get after the quarterback with four and not having to blitz but is a key to success in football.

[Don LaGreca]

No, I, I agree but you just, you just said they're bereft of talent pass rushers. But so, but you're. But you're willing to draft Cam Ward and throw him to the wolves and now throw him to the wolves if.

[Chris]

You sign an older you just talked about how Kirk Cousins is the bridge of all bridges. So get a bridge guy and have Ken Ward sit a couple weeks. I mean the options aren't Stafford or start a rookie week one. There is a middle ground. I mean I know this is New York sports radio and we have to speak in absolutes and dramatics but come on.

[Don LaGreca]

Well, it's not your Listen, I'm not sure I'm in love with going out and getting Matthew Stafford for a ton but you said I wouldn't give up a second round pick for him. So if the Rams want a second round pick from the Giants you can get yourself a really good quarterback with a line that's going to get healthier and just and be able to save your regime. What I'm trying to stop from happening is another three win season and they blow this thing up like they should have this year, didn't do it. And then John's all of a sudden going to find religion, blow them up. And now Cam Ward's going to sit there with a second general manager, a second head coach, a second offensive coordinator, and then you're doomed at that point.

[Chris]

Agreed. That's why you don't bring back a GM and a head coach that you're.

[Alan Hahn]

But they did.

[Don LaGreca]

I agree with you. But they now did great.

[Chris]

I don't want to see them put a QB in that situation either. But unfortunately, if they don't draft the QB now, then the next best option is to get a middling middle of the road veteran guy who can just kind of stabilize things. But trading picks for a Stafford and trying to shoot for the stars, it's ultimately going to blow up in their face the same way.

[Alan Hahn]

Chris, what you're, what Chris is saying, though. Look, on the surface, what Chris is, it makes sense what he's saying. I get what he's saying. He's saying it because again, you have to take the fan out and logic and reason. Right. Not emotion. Emotion, though, with what Chris is saying is by October, you're frustrated, wearing bags over your heads at the stadium. Right. Because you got a middling quarterback and you're not going anywhere and everybody's going to say you got to fire the regime. It's hard to live through what Chris is saying. But what Chris is saying is kind of right where the Giants are right now.

[Don LaGreca]

No, I, I, but the, the problem I have with Chris is they wouldn't be shooting for the stars. This is where I think Chris misunderstands. I don't want to get Matthew Stafford and make a playoff run. They're not going to make a playoff run. What I'm trying to do is save John Mara from firing everybody a year too late that we're stuck with these guys. So let's try to make it work. And the only way that's gonna make it work here is to go out there, win seven, eight games so that you feeling like you're moving in the right direction.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I fundamentally feel. Don, the callers write to me about trading real picks for someone who's not part of the future. To me, to me that feels like hustling backwards. I can't think about saving the regime.

[Alan Hahn]

I see what Peter's saying. Saving the regime. Right. For what?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like the posterity?

[Alan Hahn]

If these guys aren't the guys, the sooner the better.

[Don LaGreca]

Then you know what? Then you know what you do, then just pray they don't draft any quarterback. I'm being serious.

[Alan Hahn]

I get it.

[Don LaGreca]

Because I think the worst thing you can do to a quarterback look at all of the quarterbacks that have failed. They have failed because you pull the rug out from under them by changing coaches and coordinators and systems in their second or third year and they're running around like a chicken without a head trying to figure it all out. There has to be stability to make your quarterback work. That's why I wanted these guys gone. I wanted to start fresh, but they decided not to do that. And I have a feeling that John Maurer is going to push the button next year that he should have done this year, be all upset that they only won four games, embarrassed. Everybody's making fun of me on sports radio and he's going to fire these guys a year too late. So now I'm stuck to trying to make it work. I don't want to give a First of all, why would you just say Stafford completely say no, not even knowing what you'd have to give up. Now if you tell me I got to give up the third overall pick or I got to give up two first rounders in 26 and 27? Of course not. But you wouldn't do for just a second round pick.

[Alan Hahn]

It's something that I said you have to think about. But it doesn't mean that this is one of those oh, it must make the move kind of thing. I think the jets are a lot closer to wanting to make a move like this than the Giants are. Clearly there's a lot of meat on this bone. We will continue talking about this and taking your calls on at 800-919-3776. We'll hear what Chris can he thinks about this. And also Dave Rothenberg this morning had a take on this as well. So there's a lot of people that are sounding off about it. We'll definitely keep this going. We have a list to get to. We'll discuss that. It does have a little something to do with this, so we'll get to that. We also have to get into baseball and where the Mets rank right now as the season begins according to all the analytics and the different permutations about what the season's going to look like. Is it enough? Are the Mets all in or are they just getting started? We'll get to that as well. Stay with us. Don Hahn and Rosenberg880 ESPN and some Ramsey Mazda, please.

[Don LaGreca]

Don, you want to get the most for your money? That's why more Mazda buyers choose Ramsey Mazda Lisa New 2025 Mazda CX50 All Wheel Drive Only $239 a month or buy and get 0.9% APR financing for 36 months. Start shopping now at Ramsey Mazda.com choose wisely. Choose Ramsey Mazda. Call 833-853-2970 for details. Excludes tax. Talent Registration 0 Security Deposit Fin SN 316458 MSRP 32295 Ends 22825 thanks for.

[Alan Hahn]

Listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, but I just want to know it's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter Weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.

[Don LaGreca]

All right, let me ask you something. Ever feel like you're juggling at all? Work, family responsibilities and still trying to keep your eye on the ball? Yeah. You're an ander, and National University gets the hustle. That's why they have flexible online classes and support services for folks who are balancing jobs and kids and everything in between. If you're ready to take the next step, National University can help you level up your education and score your goals. Check them out at nu.edu to learn more.